Chapter 9

When we're finishing up our meal, a different waitress came up to our table. She had cold, predator eyes and when she smiled, there was no real warmth in it. "How are you doing?" her voice was so sweet and angelic. It just made me sick. "Who are you?" Kary asked with her usual tact. But the new girl was unfazed "I'm taking over for Cindy. She's a bit… preoccupied at the moment"

"Er ok, can we have the check?" I asked. The waitress put on the pouty look and said "Oh why don't you stay and chat?" and then very calmly pulled out a gun and pointed it at my head. Kary and Ariek looked stunned at first then just as they were about to jump out of their seats and help me, she said in a chilling tone "Move and I'll pull the trigger."

The waitress had a very strange look on her face, she had this crazy grin, and her eyes were flashing dangerously. Then out of nowhere a voice said, "Well isn't this odd." We all jumped and the waitress turned her head to see where the voice was coming from. With her temporarily distracted, I smacked the gun out of her hand where it fell to the ground. I jumped up and tackled her to the floor. And that's about when she started transforming. Her face elongated into a snout, her teeth grew longer and sharper, and hair started growing everywhere.

She started growling and snapping her jaws at me. I jumped off her, grabbed the others and started running. I ran straight into the woods that grew along the edge of the freeway. I heard someone crashing through the trees. I ran faster, pulling Ariek and Kary behind me. I didn't stop until I was sure the Eraser wasn't following us. I was practically dragging Kary and Ariek was gasping for breath. Once I stopped, Kary collapsed in a heap, and Ariek was bent over panting. Whereas I was only a bit winded. "Jesus Charlotte! How can you run that far and not even be tired?" Ariek asks with a hint of jealousy. "Genetics." I reply with a shrug. And once again I'm startled by a voice "Aren't you going to say thank you?" I whirled around to come face to face with a boy who looked around Kary's age. He had dark glossy hair that flopped over his eyes he looked thin and wiry. He seemed like the kind of person who thought they were better than everyone else. "Who the hell are you?" I snarled. "Tsk tsk. Is that really the way you should talk to someone, after they just saved your sorry butt from an Eraser?" he said shaking his head in mock disapproval. Suddenly it clicked; he was the one from the diner. "What's your name?" I asked, most of my harshness gone.

"Ethan."